2014 NAIA Baseball Players of the Week – No. 8

Gildea and Melendez earn final baseball weekly awards of 2014 season

May 06, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Brandon Gildea of Westmont (Calif.) has been named the NAIA Baseball National Player of the Week and Michael Melendez of Peru State (Neb.) has been selected as the NAIA Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Wednesday. Gildea and Melendez, who are the final national selections of the 2014 season, were chosen based on their performances from April 28 – May 4 and were selected out of a pool of conference, independent and unaffiliated group winners.

Gildea, a senior from Stockton, Calif., posted a .609 (14-of-23) batting average to help lead Westmont to a Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament championship and an automatic berth into the 2014 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. Three of his 14 hits were doubles, including two in a 13-5 win against then-No. 7 San Diego Christian (Calif.) in the tournament finale on May 3. He also recorded five RBIs and two runs scored, as the Warriors survived four elimination games after dropping the tournament opener. Gildea caught 43-of-45 innings in the three-day span.

On the season, Gildea owns a .393 batting average and leads the team with 83 hits.

Melendez, a native of Hollywood, Fla., tied a 32-year old program record with 18 strikeouts in Peru State’s 3-1 win over Evangel (Mo.) at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship on May 2. The senior, who also plays second base when not pitching, allowed only three hits, one earned run and one walk to claim his first complete-game victory of the season. Melendez also went 1-for-3 at the plate in the contest.

On the year, Melendez owns a 4-2 record and 4.10 earned run average in nine appearances.